Pope Leo XIV Urges Prayers for Peace Worldwide
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Catholics to pray for peace, “first, among nations bloodied by conflict and suffering,” and also “within our homes, in families wounded by violence or pain,” during the Angelus address on the first day of 2026. Greeting pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of […]
Leo XIV: The World Is Saved by Welcoming All
Pope Leo XIV called Catholics to a steadfast openness to other people, warning that peace will not be built through force or exclusion, as he celebrated his first liturgy of the new year on Thursday. “The world is not saved by sharpening swords, nor by judging, oppressing, or eliminating our brothers and sisters,” the pope […]
Key Dates on the Pope and Vatican Agenda for 2026
Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a very busy year at the Vatican in 2026, with important events such as the conclusion of the Jubilee of Hope and his first consistory of cardinals since his election on May 8, 2025. 1. Closing of the Jubilee of Hope — Jan. 6 On Jan. 6, the solemnity […]
Why 2026 Will Be the Year of Pope Leo XIV
AI, electoral politics, and spiritual renewal in America are other themes set to shape the year ahead. While 2025 will forever be remembered as the year the Catholic Church got its first American pope, 2026 is likely to be the year that he begins to fully make his mark. Pope Leo XIV’s impact on the […]
Te Deum Laudamus: Thanking God for 2025 and 2026
COMMENTARY: The Church pauses in prayerful awe, looking at the year that has passed in the light of Christ and entrusting the year to come to divine Providence. As the Christmas Octave and the year 2025 draw to a close, the Catholic Church invites us to pause prayerfully and do something that is right and […]
Pope Leo XIV: The Future Is in God’s Hands
Pope Leo XIV at a New Year’s Eve prayer service reflected on God’s divine plan of salvation for the world — and the hope of ordinary people. “The world moves forward in this way, propelled by the hope of so many simple people — unknown to the world but not to God — who, despite […]
Bosnian Priest Forgives Those Who Murdered His Family
Father Pero Miličević witnessed the cruelest face of war when he was just a child. On July 28, 1993, a group of Muslim militiamen from the Bosnia and Herzegovina army stormed his native village, Dlkani, in the Jablanica district. In just one morning, 39 people were killed, including his father and several members of his […]
Pope Leo XIV Ends 2025 Urging Catholics to Examine Conscience
Pope Leo XIV used the Vatican’s final general audience of 2025 on Wednesday to invite Catholics to look back on the past year with gratitude and repentance, and to place what lies ahead in God’s hands. In St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 31, the pope said 2025 brought both joy and sorrow, citing the jubilee […]
17 Missionaries Murdered Worldwide in 2025
A total of 17 missionaries were killed worldwide during 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope. With these figures, the number of missionaries and pastoral workers who have lost their lives by violence since the year 2000 to the present day has risen to 626. On Dec. 30, Fides News Agency published its annual report, which […]
PHOTOS: Unforgettable Moments of the 2025 Papal Transition
2025 began with Catholics around the world uniting in prayer for Pope Francis’ health as he entered the hospital on Feb. 14. He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome for a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, requiring a prolonged hospitalization that lasted almost six weeks. Soon after, on March 29, the pontiff […]